


Love in War

by justsimplymeagain



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Enemies to Lovers, Enemy saving Enemy, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-17
Updated: 2020-10-17
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:13:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27057781
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justsimplymeagain/pseuds/justsimplymeagain
Summary: Jim Gordon is injured during a mission outside of GCPD territory, the war in Gotham is still as volatile as ever with every criminal head he’s ever faced having their own section. Who saves him – surprises him.
Relationships: Oswald Cobblepot/Jim Gordon
Comments: 5
Kudos: 24





	Love in War

Pain.

This was the first thing Jim registered as he forced his eyes to open. Trying to recollect what happened was an even harder process than he’d like to admit. But it comes to him through flashes of memory that barely make sense. The first thing he notices was that he had a wound that was tended to but not by a professional doctor or a doctor at all. Blinking slightly, the first thing he registered was a curtain? At the head of a bed? Jim knew there was a name for them, but for the life of him he couldn’t figure it out. The second thing he noticed about his surroundings was that the bedding was pink. Bright, friendly pink. A woman’s bed as far as he could see.

The more he looked around, the more antique appearing furniture and fixtures could be seen. And pink. Whoever lived here had a fondness for pink.

“Fuck…”

“Please, refrain from using profanity in my mother’s bed.” Jim recognized that voice.

“Oswald?!”

Mother? Wait, his mother was deceased. Jim once in a while would drop a flower at her grave as an apology, he should have known something was being held over Oswald’s head back then. Should have pushed to see if he could help, but he didn’t and she paid the price and took with it some of Oswald’s sanity switched it with something vicious that only built up over the years.

“You got yourself into a fine mess once more, _old friend_. I must say, it truly is a shock that you’re still alive.” Oswald came into view, impeccably dressed and sticking out like a black stain on a seemingly friendly room. Setting that aside, he eyed Oswald to see if he could guess where this was going or what had happened on Oswald’s end. They weren’t exactly what you would call friends these days.

Opening his mouth, his question on why he was here was no doubt clear for Oswald to see as the man cut him off by moving towards what Jim assumes is the kitchen, proclaiming that Jim needed a drink. He came back, with a drink and a pill bottle.

“I don’t expect you to trust me, but these are pain killers. You’re lucky I got to you in time.” Oswald explained, holding both out to Jim. There was a moment of hesitation, but Jim took them. Took a sip of water before focusing on the latter part of Oswald’s statement. Jim started piecing together what happened.

The bridges.

The war breaking out amongst everyone and regular people being caught in the middle. Being cut off from the mainland. Getting shot. Getting shot more than once.

“Why am I here?” Jim asked they were enemies. Oswald had his territory, the GCPD had theirs. It was something that Jim found uncomfortable; out of every criminal he’s met since Don Falcone. Oswald seemed to be the one who cared most about Gotham. In his own way. And so did Jim.

“I just saved your life, be grateful for that at least. I didn’t have to save you; you weren’t even in my territory.” Oswald snapped, sending harsh looks of accusation towards Jim. Jim got the idea, Oswald blamed Jim for being outside of his territory and Jim didn’t blame him. But that hardly answered a single question.

“Why am I here, Oswald.” Why was he here and not left to die a painful death? And why did Oswald bring him to a place that held some of Oswald’s remaining vulnerabilities? Why risk his own safety to bring Jim here? Oswald gave him another harsh look; Jim could imagine if they were in another setting and Jim was someone else – he would have been stabbed by now. That harsh look slowly melted to a more tired one, Jim wondered how many people saw that look these days.

Oswald moved to sit on one of the chairs, pantyhose still hanging on the back. It was like the apartment was frozen in time. And maybe it was. Was it a place of refuge for the vicious mobster? Oswald seemed to contemplate something before leaning back and crossing his bad leg over his good and folding his hands in his lap.

“I wanted to leave you. To die that is. And, I almost did. But. But I couldn’t.” There was a struggle in those words, like realizations that were still settling in the man leaving him unsettled at best.

“Why didn’t you?” Jim asked, he knew he’d deserve it and why, but he would never verbally admit to it. Jim knows what he’s done, tried to reason with himself and explain it away. But at the end of the day, he knows what he’s done. There was a shake of the head and Oswald looked away from him. Jim struggled to sit up, watched as the man twitched like he wanted to force Jim to lay back down or help him up. But did neither. They both were too proud to reach across that – some days short – distance.

He could see it in those eyes. It was the same reason why Jim always hesitated in arresting him or would never pull the trigger.

“It wasn’t easy for me, Jim. With our history, a part of me says that I should have left your body to be found by some passerby. Free myself from someone who betrays me time and time again.” Oswald’s words cut worse than the blade he kept on his leg brace. But that only made Jim want to argue his reasoning and his self-proclaimed innocence in those matters, instinct and habit enabling that reaction.

It was clear that Oswald saw it in Jim, that want to fight. Because that harsh look twisted into something worse, with a sneer and barely contained viciousness – Oswald actually frightened Jim enough to silence him. Oswald seemed to have picked up on Jim’s reaction because he stood up abruptly and left the room, muttering about getting something to eat. Leaving Jim with his thoughts.

Who shot him?

Did Harvey know by now that he was missing? Was someone looking for him? Was he here because of Oswald? One thing was for sure, old wounds seem to be open and fresh between the two of them. But then, have they ever healed in the first place?

“Oswald?” Jim called.

“Here.” Came a deceptively calm voice, Oswald seemed to be using the time out of this room to collect himself. Something Jim was thankful; it was something he didn’t want to deal with. He’s already in bad shape, he didn’t need to have to fight for his life on top of that. He wondered how he must look to the other man at this very moment. Jim frowned down at his own injuries and himself.

Oswald came in with a plate and a phone. The phone surprised him.

“Call your partner, tell him where you are.” Oswald stated as soon as Jim meekly took both from him. Oswald made no move to sit back down or walk away.

“Oswald.” Jim tried, what was he trying to salvage?

“You have _no idea_ how close I came just now to _killing you_ , it took everything in me to walk out of the room. Do you not _realize_ that? I’m _not_ that scared sniveling boy on the pier. Just as you are _not_ the cop you were on that pier.” Oswald stated, words measured and controlled. Jim couldn’t find the words to explain why that hurt and how right he was. They weren’t who they used to be, they changed for the better and worse. But mostly worse. There were moments when they came through, shined brighter than they had a right to.

The plate and phone felt heavy in his hands.

“I know. I know Oswald.” Jim acknowledged, he carefully set the sandwich down on the nightstand with the phone. He’ll use it in a moment, first thing’s first because at the very least he owes honesty to the man who’s sitting across from him.

There was a scoffing sound, but that was all he got from the stubborn man.

Jim could only give a small rueful smile and a shake of the head, “You’re certainly right, we aren’t who we used to be. For better and worse. We both were perhaps more hopeful than we probably should have been. Had the image of Gotham in our heads, but that never quite lined up did it. Maybe came close for you, but for me…”

“You were naïve to what it was.” Oswald stated, it wasn’t an accusation and Jim was thankful that someone put that out without rubbing his face in his own failures in what he saw and what he believed. Sure, he still has hope for Gotham, see’s what it can be but he wasn’t the naïve cop he used to be. He knows it won’t be by his hands that the Gotham in his head comes to be. All he wants to do now was clear the way to the finish line for someone stronger than he was.

“I had to learn the hard way. But not you, no you – you saw Gotham for what it was back then.” Jim said, Oswald seemed shocked and for a moment he even preened under Jim’s acknowledgment. Of course, proof of that reaction would never be proven. Oswald regarded him coolly before stating, “I offered you my hand in friendship, you rejected it”

Jim nodded and muttered Oswald’s own words.

“Had grandeur dreams of cleaning up the station, cleaning up Gotham.” Jim indicated the window while saying, “It didn’t turn out that way, as you can see.”

“Might have, had you listened to me.” Oswald pointed out, eyeing Jim and no doubt picking him apart. Jim wouldn’t put it past Oswald, the man had an uncanny ability to read people and understand what they want. Look at how he managed with Don Maroni and Don Falcone.

Regardless, Jim opened his mouth only to be shushed.

“I know, you wanted to clean the city up. By working with me, you would have been labeled as a dirty cop.” Oswald pointed out coldly before ruthlessly following it with a cold, “You shot Galavan, point-blank in the head which is murder. Of course, being a team player, I took the fall for you. You let that happen because it was okay. I was a mobster, you were a ‘good cop’. And that’s only one example, I can keep naming…”

“I know! I know… I’m a – a dirty cop at the worst of times, I know. I killed people, both on the job and – and when I shouldn’t have. I know what I am.” Jim felt like he was going to choke on the words as he said them. How odd that it felt easier to breathe after he said those words. Dangerous to say them to Oswald, the man was a genius when it comes to information and picking situations apart for his own gain. But he felt freer for saying them.

Silence fell between the two of them. Oddly, despite the warzone, Gotham was these days. It was peaceful.

“We are what we are.” Oswald muttered. Jim nodded because what else could he do; Oswald had a point there.

“For - for what it’s worth, I’m sorry.” Jim said, he made sure to look Oswald in the eyes when he said that. He owed the man his open honesty and apology. Whether he falls back onto old habits when it came to the man before him, Jim didn’t know. But he did know at the very least, he owed him an apology.

Of course, it wasn’t well received. Vicious snarling and accusations of lies and pointing out Jim’s wrongdoings all but followed the temperamental man out of the room. Snapping from the other room, “You think a simple _‘I’m sorry’_ is going to fix things?! Make them right!” Jim felt defeated, but maybe that was exhaustion from the war and his injuries or everything he’s gone through since becoming a GCPD detective and trying to fix a city that didn’t seem to want to be fixed. Closing his eyes, he let the man snarl and snap until silence fell between them once more. This time with Oswald in the other room.

Standing up was harder than he anticipated. From the loss of blood to the pain that screamed through his body, it made his vision blurry and his progress slow as he made it to his door. Oswald’s ranting seemed to stutter to a stop.

“I _am_ sorry. Nothing’s going to take what I did back, I’m an ass and I fucked up plenty. I know. You’re no saint either. But I am sorry. I’m not asking for your forgiveness, it’s not mine to ask for…” Jim forced out, he felt winded and the entire room was spinning faster than he liked. He didn’t fall as he expected though and was surprised at how solid Oswald felt as the mobster helped him stand.

Oswald winds up helping him back to bed. Although there was a steady muttering of, “Moron. Idiot. Stubborn headed fool.” And yeah, Jim could think of a long list of people who would agree with Oswald in that part. Once Jim was seated, Oswald regarded him firmly.

“You are a bloody fool James Gordon, you know that?” Oswald sounded tired all of a sudden. But then, the war was having that effect on a lot of people even those who don’t admit to it. Harvey and Jim clashed more than a few times since it started. Harvey missed the old days, the days before Gordon and hearing that hurt worse than getting shot.

“I can think of a lot of people who would agree with you there.” Jim admitted and felt something ease in him when Oswald chuckled. A sound that Jim doesn’t think he heard before.

“I could imagine.” Oswald agreed, things for a moment felt lighter between the two of them. It was an odd feeling, ever since the beginning, there was always things put between them. Who Jim was, who Oswald is. Jobs. Dreams. Goals. Sitting in Oswald’s mother’s apartment, it almost felt like they were almost on the same page. And a part of Jim wanted to see what it would be like to be on that same page.

Oswald recovered first, pushing the sandwich into Jim’s hand before sitting down. Jim let himself eat it. It was bland, but it did what it was supposed to.

“Why did you save me Oswald?” Jim asked, voice quieter than he meant for it to be. For a moment it looked like Oswald was going to ignore him before a slight shake of the head told him the man was thinking.

“I didn’t actually want you to die. Even when I was tempted to let you die. Even if it would be easier on me to let you die. I didn’t want you dead.” Oswald’s admission was spoken quietly, a secret shared between the two of them. Jim wasn’t too sure on what to say. Hearing things like that allowed Jim to see a rarely seen innocent part of the mobster, but Jim couldn’t let himself be deluded because Oswald was capable of being cruel and capable of killing someone for nothing.

“Thanks.” Was all he could offer at the moment. It was accepted with a nod.

Jim knows that he should call Harvey, get him to come and get him. Go back to GCPD territory, carry on trying to fight for Gotham. But it was only them protecting as many as they could with what feels like a handful. Jim didn’t know how long before they fall from being bombarded on all sides. It was a shock that nobody outside of Gotham was trying to help or offer aid. It made Jim feel abandoned at the best of times.

Oswald seemed to be regarding him again. Studying and no doubt trying to figure out what Jim was thinking.

“Have you heard from anyone, outside of Gotham?” Jim suddenly found himself asking, it surprised Oswald because the man clearly wasn’t expecting Jim to be reaching out for information from someone who is, by all means, an enemy.

“No.” Jim believed him.

“Neither have we, and not for the lack of trying.” Jim says something in his tone must have caught Oswald’s attention because the man zeroed in on it with a calm, “Were you hoping to?” Jim could only nod.

“Gotham is cut off from the mainland. Nothing coming in, or out. And supplies, whether it’s food, medical, or ammunition is becoming a heavily fought over resource. You would have thought that they’d have answered or sent something in.” Jim found himself ranting, he was getting angry and who would have thought that it would have been Oswald who was the person Jim was ranting to. Jim tries to keep everything in and not let too much out because he has to protect the people who are serving with him and who are looking to the GCPD for help. But Oswald, Oswald was none of that. He was a leader in his own territory, one who stepped outside of it and came to Jim’s aid somehow and for some reason. So, in some ways, Jim felt freer to talk.

Oswald acknowledged what Jim said before grinning, “And because your law enforcement, you hoped that they would have held a hand out to you. Helped you?”

“You would think…” Jim muttered, feeling defeated once more.

“It’s a feeling most people in Gotham understand already even before the bridges were blown.” Oswald stated with a shrug, before going to explain that it was in part why there was a balance between crime and law in Gotham to keep a peace that wouldn’t be able to exist otherwise. It was twisted logic but for a moment Jim almost heard Don Falcone in those words.

Jim just nodded.

Jim wondered though, what would the cost be to go back to that? Something that was in place when Harvey was acting captain. Back to something before Oswald was the Penguin and when he was just an umbrella boy? Jim could imagine the amount of bitching he would get from Harvey and the told you so’s once the man calms down.

“The mainland probably wants Gotham under control before they even try to aid us.” Jim muttered, back to complaining about the lack of help.

“More than likely.” Oswald acknowledges head tilted slightly as he now regarded Jim curiously before asking, “Where are you going with this?”

It was an insane idea, but maybe just maybe it wasn’t as insane as Jim wanted it to be. There would be disagreements on who was the boss and who ran the show. But Gotham needed to be under control to bring law and order back to the city. And save as many people as they could before everyone is torn to shreds by the chaos.

“Why don’t we join our forces.” Jim tried, there was a look of shock on the man’s face and Jim was only met with one thing.

Silence.

Then anger. Oswald disagreed and taunted Jim over his idea, it left Jim feeling more rejected than he anticipated. He was only trying to save Gotham; how can he save Gotham on his own. The GCPD was slowly running out of resources. And the mainland was being no help.

“Oswald!” Jim managed to catch the man’s attention, ignoring how irritated he looked and petulant even. It took a lot for him to push forward despite his physical and emotional exhaustion, but Jim managed as he said, “Can you do it on your own? Sure, you can rule your section, but how long before more and more people start rebelling or pushing back against you.”

“Longer than you.” Oswald snapped.

“Perhaps you can. But you won’t be able to forever. And Gotham, Gotham would be ashes by then. The city you love, the city I love – it would be gone. That’s one thing that’s the same for both of us. We love this city. We may view it differently; we may have different dreams for it. But at the end of the day, we love this city. And that city, it will be gone and dead before this war is done. There would be no going back, no reclaiming it. It wouldn’t be Gotham anymore.” Jim let his conviction be heard and strengthen his words. Oswald simply crossed his arms and before he could respond, Jim continued, “I’m not asking you to suddenly go from being a Kingpin to a law-abiding citizen. I’m asking you to help me save the city we both love.”

“You’re asking me to give up my resources and join you.” Oswald stated Jim wasn’t lost on the word choice.

“Help me save this city Oswald.” Jim pushed as gently as he could. Oswald was someone you didn’t want to push too harshly because the man is known for rebelling against those who try to rule over him or push him too far. And often enough, it came with lethal consequences.

**Author's Note:**

> At the moment, I'm going through files and posting viable stories. I'm not sure when they'll get finished as things in my life are up and down in ways I would have never foreseen but the intent is there.


End file.
